The Ghana Embassy in Bamako, Mali, in collaboration with the Association of Ghanaian Community in Mali, ASCOGHAM, on Sunday, 11th March, 2012, organised an event in the Malian capital, Bamako, to commemorate Ghana’s 55th Independence anniversary in the country. The ceremony, which witnessed an impressive turn-out from Ghanaian community in Mali, was addressed by His Excellency Donald Adabere Adabre, Ghana’s Ambassador to the Republic of Mali.

Participants at the colourful ceremony were hosted to assorted traditional Ghanaian dishes and drinks, during which they danced to the tunes of old highlife and contemporary Ghanaian music. Ghanaians in Mali are mostly traders in livestock parts, who ply their trade between Mali and Ghana. There are also artisans such as tailors, carpenters and mechanics. One may also find among them Geologists, Engineers, Teachers and other specialized professionals, including Pilots from the now defunct Ghana Airways, who have now joined Air Mali, the country’s national airline to pursue their profession. Thus, they seized the occasion to come together from all walks of life and to savour the moment. Speaking at the gathering, H.E. Ambassador Adabre stated that Ghana’s Independence Day would forever remain a landmark in the history of not only Ghanaians but Africans as a whole, adding therefore that, the country needed to be celebrated as the torch bearer and a trail blazer on the African continent. The Ambassador was of the view that, despite past and present difficulties, Ghana had regained her former stature and had established participatory democracy, underpinned by relatively strong democratic institutions backed by an ever improving economy.

Ambassador Adabre declared that “Ghana would not have been able to regain her past glory without the dedication, commitment and support of her own citizens and the assistance and understanding of her development partners. Ghanaian citizens, whether at home or abroad have proved to be the most vital resource at the disposal of successive governments deployed in the engaging enterprise of nation building”, he added. H.E. the Ambassador, therefore, underscored the fact that it was not surprising that the current government, led by His Excellency President John Evans Atta Mills, had made the Ghanaian youths and employment generation the centre piece of its Better Ghana Agenda. His Excellency the Ambassador admonished his fellow Ghanaians and stated that, as they celebrate Ghana’s 55 years of existence as an independent nation, they should remember that they represented Ghana in their various fields of activity. He again stated that their actions and words could enhance the bonds of goodwill which Ghana enjoyed internationally or undermine it. He, therefore, exhorted them to be mindful of that. Earlier on, the Chief Patron of ASCOGHAM, Mr. Martel Mataley, who was the former Secretary of the association, advised all Ghanaians to exercise great deal of restraint, tolerance and maturity as the country approached the December 2012 elections in order to avoid the mistakes of some of the neighbouring countries, which led to political and social strifes and in some instances downright civil wars. He encouraged them to contribute their quota towards nation building efforts back home and, in their own small way, woo potential investors into the country to assist in employment generation efforts back in Ghana.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, 6th March, 2012, the Embassy organised a reception at the Residence of His Excellency the Ambassador to formally commemorate the anniversary in Mali. In attendance were senior Malian government Ministers of State and other officials as well as some prominent Ghanaians working in the country.

Picture: H.E. Ambassador Adabre interacting with his compatriots during the occasion

Ghana Embassy, Bamako, Mali

March, 2012